PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
PRESEASON EditiON - Detroit Lions
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History Book<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
Media.<strong>Detroit</strong>lions.com<br />
<strong>Lions</strong> tHAnksgiving DAy trADition<br />
It was, legend says, a typically colorful, probably chilly, November day<br />
in 1622 that Pilgrims and Native Americans celebrated the new world' s<br />
bounty with a sumptuous feast.<br />
They sat together at Plymouth Plantation (they spelled it Plimouth)<br />
in Massachusetts, gave thanks for the goodness set before them, then<br />
dined on pumpkin pie, sweet potatoes, maize, cranberry sauce, turkey<br />
and who knows what else.<br />
Actually, fish was just as predominant a staple. And history books say<br />
pumpkin pie really debuted a year later. But regardless of the accuracy<br />
of the details, that' s how Thanksgiving Day is seen by Americans --<br />
except <strong>Detroit</strong>ers.<br />
They may have most of the same images as everyone else, but with<br />
a new twist that began in 1934.<br />
That' s when <strong>Detroit</strong>ers and their outstate Michigan compatriots<br />
found themselves at the dawn of an unplanned behavior modification,<br />
courtesy of George A. ª Dickº Richards, owner of the city' s new entry in<br />
the National Football League: The <strong>Detroit</strong> <strong>Lions</strong>.<br />
Larry Paladino, <strong>Lions</strong> Pride, 1993<br />
Four generations of <strong>Detroit</strong>ers have been a proud part of the American<br />
celebration of thanksgiving. the relationship between <strong>Detroit</strong> and<br />
thanksgiving dates back to 1934 when owner G.A. richards scheduled a<br />
holiday contest between his first-year <strong>Lions</strong> and the Chicago Bears. some<br />
77 years later, fans throughout the state of Michigan have transformed<br />
an annual holiday event into the single greatest tradition in the history<br />
of American professional team sports. indeed, if football is America’s<br />
passion, Thanksgiving football is <strong>Detroit</strong>’s passion.<br />
the game was the brainchild of richards, the first owner of the<br />
<strong>Detroit</strong> <strong>Lions</strong>. richards had purchased the team in 1934 and moved the<br />
club from Portsmouth, ohio to the Motor City. the <strong>Lions</strong> were the new<br />
kids in town and had taken a backseat to the baseball tigers. Despite<br />
the fact the <strong>Lions</strong> had lost only one game prior to thanksgiving in 1934,<br />
the season’s largest crowd had been just 15,000.<br />
the opponent that day in 1934 was the undefeated, defending World<br />
Champion Chicago Bears of George Halas. the game would determine the<br />
champion of the Western Division. richards had convinced the NBC radio<br />
Network to carry the game coast-to-coast (94 stations) and additionally,<br />
an estimated 26,000 fans jammed into the University of <strong>Detroit</strong> stadium<br />
while thousands more disappointed fans were turned away.<br />
in 2009, the <strong>Lions</strong> thanksgiving Day game against Green Bay marked<br />
the NFL’s 75th anniversary of the first NFL national game broadcast.<br />
Graham McNamee was the announcer for NBC radio for that historic<br />
game in 1934.<br />
Despite two Ace Gutowsky touchdowns, the Bears won the inaugural<br />
game 19-16, but a classic was born. since 1934, 71 games have been<br />
played with the <strong>Lions</strong> holding a 33-36-2 (.478) record in the series.<br />
And each game, in its own way, continues to bring back memories of<br />
thanksgiving, not only to <strong>Lions</strong> fans, but to football fans across the<br />
nation.<br />
the <strong>Lions</strong>’ 73rd thanksgiving Day Classic (11/22; 12:30 p.m.; CBs)<br />
will feature the <strong>Lions</strong> hosting the Houston texans, who won the AFC<br />
south division last season. this year’s game marks the first time the<br />
<strong>Lions</strong> will play the texans on thanksgiving and the third time in the<br />
series. the teams have split the first two games with each home team<br />
claiming victories.<br />
THANkSGIvING DAy FAcTS<br />
‣ the series began with a 19-16 loss to the Chicago Bears on<br />
November 29, 1934.<br />
‣ A total of 72 games have been played with the <strong>Lions</strong> owning<br />
a 33-37-2 record in the annual holiday classic.<br />
‣ More than 4 million fans have witnessed the <strong>Lions</strong>’ 72<br />
thanksgiving Day games. the total attendance for the<br />
first 72 games is 4,049,255 an average of 56,240 fans per<br />
thanksgiving game.<br />
‣ the <strong>Lions</strong> have played 23 different teams since the first<br />
thanksgiving Day game. the most common opponent has<br />
been the Green Bay Packers, who the <strong>Lions</strong> played in 2011 for<br />
the 20th time in the thanksgiving series. their second most<br />
common opponent is the Chicago Bears (15 times).<br />
‣ the two highest scoring games were a 44-40 Packers’ win in<br />
1986 and a 52-35 <strong>Detroit</strong> romp over Green Bay in 1951.<br />
‣ the lowest scoring game was a 12-0 Philadelphia win in the<br />
1968 “Mud Bowl.”<br />
‣ ten games in the thanksgiving Day series has a game been<br />
decided by three points or less, with the <strong>Lions</strong>’ record standing<br />
at 4-4-2 in those meetings.<br />
‣ the most lopsided game was a 45-3 <strong>Lions</strong> win over Pittsburgh<br />
in 1983.<br />
‣ seven shutouts have been recorded, but only one by the <strong>Lions</strong><br />
(20-0 over the Bears in 1979).<br />
‣ two thanksgiving Day games have gone into overtime. the<br />
first came in 1980 when the Bears’ David Williams returned<br />
the opening kickoff of ot for a 95-yard touchdown. At the time,<br />
the game marked the shortest overtime game in NFL history<br />
(21 seconds). the most recent overtime game occurred in 1998<br />
when the <strong>Lions</strong> defeated the steelers 19-16 on a 42-yard Jason<br />
Hanson field goal in a game that will be remembered for the<br />
controversial coin toss before overtime began.<br />
THANkSGIvING RESuLTS<br />
Year Opponent result Att record W L t<br />
1934 Chicago Bears L 16-19 26,000 10 3 0<br />
1935 Chicago Bears W 14-2 18,000 7 3 2<br />
1936 Chicago Bears W 13-7 22,000 8 4 0<br />
1937 Chicago Bears L 0-13 24,173 7 4 0<br />
1938 Chicago Bears W 14-7 26,200 7 4 0<br />
1939 series interrupted During World War ii<br />
1940 series interrupted During World War ii<br />
1941 series interrupted During World War ii<br />
1942 series interrupted During World War ii<br />
1943 series interrupted During World War ii<br />
1944 series interrupted During World War ii<br />
1945 Cleveland rams L 21-28 40,017 7 3 0<br />
1946 Boston L 10-34 13,010 1 10 0<br />
1947 Chicago Bears L 14-34 27,214 3 9 0<br />
1948 Chicago Cardinals L 14-28 22,099 2 10 0<br />
1949 Chicago Bears L 7-28 22,912 4 8 0<br />
1950 New york yanks W 49-14 28,000 6 6 0<br />
1951 Green Bay W 52-35 32,247 7 4 1<br />
1952 Green Bay W 48-24 39,101 9 3 0<br />
1953 Green Bay W 34-15 52,547 10 2 0<br />
1954 Green Bay W 28-24 55,532 9 2 1<br />
1955 Green Bay W 24-10 51,685 3 9 0<br />
1956 Green Bay L 20-24 54,087 9 3 0<br />
1957 Green Bay W 18-6 54,301 8 4 0<br />
1958 Green Bay W 24-14 50,971 4 7 1<br />
1959 Green Bay L 17-24 49,211 3 8 1<br />
1960 Green Bay W 23-10 54,123 7 5 0<br />
1961 Green Bay L 9-17 55,662 8 5 1<br />
1962 Green Bay W 26-14 57,598 11 3 0<br />
1963 Green Bay t 13-13 54,016 5 8 1<br />
1964 Chicago L 24-27 52,231 7 5 2<br />
1965 Baltimore t 24-24 55,036 6 7 1<br />
1966 san Francisco L 14-41 53,189 4 9 1<br />
1967 L.A. rams L 7-31 54,389 5 7 2<br />
1968 Philadelphia L 0-12 47,909 4 8 2<br />
1969 Minnesota L 0-27 57,906 9 4 1<br />
1970 oakland W 28-14 56,597 10 4 0<br />
1971 kansas City W 32-21 54,418 7 6 1<br />
1972 New york Jets W 37-20 54,418 8 5 1<br />
1973 Washington L 0-20 54,418 6 7 1<br />
1974 Denver L 27-31 53,314 7 7 0<br />
1975 L.A. rams L 0-20 69,552 7 7 0<br />
1976 Buffalo W 27-14 66,875 6 8 0<br />
1977 Chicago L 14-31 71,373 6 8 0<br />
1978 Denver W 17-14 71,785 7 9 0<br />
1979 Chicago W 20-0 66,219 2 14 0<br />
1980 Chicago L 17-23(ot) 75,397 9 7 0<br />
1981 kansas City W 27-10 76,735 8 8 0<br />
1982 New york Giants L 6-13 64,348 4 5 0<br />
1983 Pittsburgh W 45-3 77,724 9 7 0<br />
1984 Green Bay W 31-28 63,696 4 11 1<br />
1985 New york Jets W 31-20 65,531 7 9 0<br />
1986 Green Bay L 40-44 61,199 5 11 0